guys and gals,

85 wont start. turn key and nothing. do not hear solenoid being actuated.

this is an intermittent problem, and now ive got it not starting so i want to troubleshoot completely. batt and alt new and in good working order.

The starter will not turn when jumping terminal positions 1 and 3 together on passenger side near battery, but there is clearly current flowing due to sparking on screwdrivers.

Does this point directly to the solenoid?

thanks,
dd

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

Yes, time for a new starter according to what you posted. You could try changing just the solenoid but you have to pull the starter to do so and you won't want to do that more than you need to.

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1977 300D Lost coolant while someone else was driving
1983 300D Can't run without oil
1985 300SD (gone but not forgotten)
1990 300TE 4matic Sold
1991 Yamaha Venture
1975 Kawsaki 250 triple
1974 Honda 200CL
1951 8N Ford
2008 Wildfire 650C

My starter is a 1 year old Bosch reman.

Could someone double confirm my troubleshooting before I go pulling the starter?

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

Do you have a multimeter to make some measurements?

Have you tried whunter's remote starter switch trick yet to rule out the trans safety switch?

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Have multimeter, will measure.

Have not tried whunter switch (do you have a link for that?). I thought that by virtue of the key being in the 'run' position, you could jump the wires on the terminal block, bypassing the NSS and the ignition switch.

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

I would use a pipe and bang directly on the starter while some one holds the key in the start position. If your banging gets the starter to turn. Replace starter as it is your solenoid. This will also work to keep you going every morning until you can get the new starter.

Check for corrosion. On the strap from the engine to the chassis. Check for corrosion. On the battery cables inside wiring. check for corrosion at the starter on the starter cable.

After you've done that, check the nuetral safety switch

__________________
Closing the store
Benzbonz.biz on your smart phone or tablet.

don't bosch warranty their remans for more than a year?

try the headlight test. turn the headlights on and have an assistant watch the headlights. turn the key, if the headlights dim then current is getting to the starter. obviously, if the starter is still dead...time for a new starter.

if the lights do not dim when you turn the key then the problem will most likely lie elsewhere....i.e. maybe a crank position sensor or a park-neutral safety switch.

__________________
Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

An inductive DC ammeter placed on the main cable to the starter while jumping terminals 1 and 3 would tell you if current is flowing to the starter. If it is, problem is at the starter.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Have you checked the connections at the starter? If the little wire is loose it will cause an intermittently no start.

__________________
2009 ML320 Bluetec
1985 300CD
1981 300TD

Past Mercedes
1979 300TD
1982 300TD
2000 E320 4Matic Wagon
1998 E430
1984 300SD
1980 300SD

The thread I remember is this one

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/2708342-post15.html

but I think there are others - if I can find some more I'll post back.

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

throughly checked it out last night.

starter is drawing power. did not have a current probe to verify, but the voltage was applied to the starter. the voltage from the battery dropped from 12V to 10.16V when the key was put into the start position.

i slight tap to the solenoid resulted in a start.

ill check connections tonight. hopefully its simple...otherwise ill be checking out Bosch's warranty on starters.

thanks everyone, ill keep you posted.

__________________
-------------------------------
'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

now that it's started, you should take the jumpers and repeatedly jolt the solenoid. you may just have some cold grease in the bendix mechanism, keeping the starter from fully engaging... but if battery voltage is dropping that much, it sounds like a winding is bad on the starter. you could have a brush that's not touching, that would cause a high draw with no turn... but you say you hear no click? hard to believe the solenoid alone would drop the battery that much... you say 12V... EXACTLY what voltage is the battery putting out before you jump the solenoid? 12.xx?

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Hmmm - I don't want to be all doom and gloom but can you turn the crank by hand?

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!